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Post by edwardsutorik on Jul 11, 2014 10:46:33 GMT -8
"I just picked up their new Alco S-2 yesterday. It's a sweet little lokey, even if they put the wrong trucks on. The sound is terrific. And it's got Rule 17 lighting. Sorta. I think. I'm quite happy with mine. ED" Did your loco come w/ the ALCO Blunt trucks? That was the stock ones for most RRs that had S-2s. Yes, it did. But it should have had AAR trucks. I figure maybe someday I can correct this. Until then I'll use weasel-logic. Ed
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Post by Spikre on Jul 11, 2014 10:58:45 GMT -8
?? Ed, if the S-2 was built with Blunt Trucks,that is what Atlas will put under them. it could be that the S-3/4 TYPE-A trucks or sideframes arnt available yet ? don't these New trucks have the same innards as the HH trucks ? the HH trucks are not the same as the trucks under the Original S switchers from Roco/Austria or China. it may be possible to graft on new sideframes,and if You want Correct Sideframes that may be the only way for now. Spikre
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Post by lajrmdlr on Jul 11, 2014 11:04:13 GMT -8
"I just picked up their new Alco S-2 yesterday. It's a sweet little lokey, even if they put the wrong trucks on. The sound is terrific. And it's got Rule 17 lighting. Sorta. I think. I'm quite happy with mine. ED" Did your loco come w/ the ALCO Blunt trucks? That was the stock ones for most RRs that had S-2s. Yes, it did. But it should have had AAR trucks. I figure maybe someday I can correct this. Until then I'll use weasel-logic. Ed The ALCO S-4 came w/ AAR Type A trucks not S-2s. Did your RR get their S-2s from ALCO w/ AARs or change them later?
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Post by valenciajim on Jul 11, 2014 12:42:08 GMT -8
When I said Atlas got creamed, I meant it in the manner that they have clearly had to retrench. They have not produced the same amount of stuff in HO. The O scale stuff maybe a different story. They are a great company. As to the inability to deliver track, I went for over a year without seeing any Atlas track in a LHS. I am glad to see that their factory is back in production and they have track available once more. Atlas is a first rate operation and I wish them well.
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Post by marknycfan on Jul 11, 2014 12:51:05 GMT -8
Mostly new runs of old rolling stock, loco's are not being announced as I guess they're trying to get Lok-sound in everything, RS-1's are delayed, GP-38/40's and HH600's too. The new Dash 8's are supposed to have Titans for sound. Yes but the Dash 8's are 2-1/2 years late, they are not new and I'm speculating they were committed to the QSI Titan sound on those particular models.
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jul 11, 2014 13:50:55 GMT -8
The ALCO S-4 came w/ AAR Type A trucks not S-2s. Did your RR get their S-2s from ALCO w/ AARs or change them later? The railroad, GN, received their S-2's with Blunt trucks. One, and perhaps more, later had AAR trucks installed. The model would have been correct if it had been painted in the as-delivered scheme. But it's painted in a later scheme, when the loco had the AAR trucks. Correcting this error is a very back-burner project. Aside from the one or six people on this forum who remember, no one is going to call me on it. And I don't have piles of assorted switcher trucks to search through for parts. I have thought of perhaps using the Bachmann trucks, but I'm not going to buy one just to see if I can do the exchange. Perhaps someone will do the change someday, and I can piggyback on their experience. Sorta like building a BN B30-7A. Ed
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Post by Mark R. on Jul 11, 2014 14:07:27 GMT -8
Atlas (like any other manufacturer) commits to purchase a given quantity of decoders. That's why some Atlas releases will still be coming with QSI decoders until their purchase commitment is used up. Atlas will be exclusively loksound once the QSI lot is used up.
Atlas does have a number of new projects in que, but with the mess in China, it's become a matter of wait your turn or go someplace else.
Mark.
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Post by travis on Jul 11, 2014 19:07:31 GMT -8
Greetings from a new old guy. As stated Atlas "was a great" company. The first clue to,all should have been the demise of the forum to save a few bucks, a very few bucks. If Atlas needed those "few dollars" it must have been in dire straits. Hope Atlas makes it back to the good old days.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2014 19:33:25 GMT -8
How about a revised C30-7? That would be a welcomed revival to HO scale...IMO...along with a C36-7 variant...
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Post by The Ferro Kid on Jul 11, 2014 19:41:34 GMT -8
Greetings from a new old guy. As stated Atlas "was a great" company. The first clue to,all should have been the demise of the forum to save a few bucks, a very few bucks. If Atlas needed those "few dollars" it must have been in dire straits. Hope Atlas makes it back to the good old days. I agree it wasn't a good omen. But I've also felt that the demise of both the Atlas and BLI Forums was about 50-percent due to uncomfortable delivery-date questions to which, most of the time, probably even they didn't have a sure answer. That said, I suspect that running a Forum is in the category of those things that look easier than they are.
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Post by Judge Doom on Jul 11, 2014 19:42:34 GMT -8
Hmmm... Atlas, east coast company, only makes sense they'd finally announce an FL9-ohwait. Then again, they do do lots of Alcos, so a C430 would fit in quite-ohwait. All the cool kids are doing Canadian models, so surely a top quality GMD1 would-ohwait. Well, I guess it's gotta be a C415, because an F40, F59, DD35 and T6 would all be a stretch at best! But it's probably another F-unit.
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wsor
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The Route of the Ruptured Duck
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Post by wsor on Jul 11, 2014 19:50:08 GMT -8
Still hoping for a H16-66... Or more H24-66s in fantasy CNW and MILW paint like Athearn did.
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Post by Spikre on Jul 12, 2014 8:03:01 GMT -8
the main reason Atlas closed its Open forum was because it had degenerated into a mostly Athearn forum. and while that was good for Athearn,it only slightly gave any real input to Atlas. also Paul G. didn't like the CNJ Red Paint described as the "Red Barron" scheme,and tried his own revisionist name to it,"The Coast Guard Scheme". which it may have been to him,but to nobody ever talked to here. Spikre
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Post by Brakie on Jul 12, 2014 8:14:15 GMT -8
the main reason Atlas closed its Open forum was because it had degenerated into a mostly Athearn forum. and while that was good for Athearn,it only slightly gave any real input to Atlas. also Paul G. didn't like the CNJ Red Paint described as the "Red Barron" scheme,and tried his own revisionist name to it,"The Coast Guard Scheme". which it may have been to him,but to nobody ever talked to here. Spikre Let's not forget that was the third time the forum was closed for basically the same reason bickering and general rule breaking. Its easy to blame Atlas and accuse Atlas of penny pinching but,after dozens of lock topics I suspect they did what they thought best.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2014 8:28:19 GMT -8
Who cares about the Atlas forum? It's dead and gone. Let's see if they have any "NEW" announcements at the NMRA National Show. It's topics like this where people continually hi-jacked threads...that was all-too-common on the old Atlas forum.
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Post by mlehman on Jul 12, 2014 9:39:39 GMT -8
To illustrate why a high-Q 70-tonner would be attractive to so many, consider how dainty they are. Here's a pic of some of my HOn3 GE's compared to a standard gauge Rio Grande Fowler clone boxcar. It's not a very big boxcar, but it looms over the GE's. I know there is a tendency to favor big mainline locos, but the realities of modern life and limited space make locos like the GE's versatile. They can do it all, especially when you have 3, 4 or more together. On the other hand, just a single example can power a tiny industrial or mining layout. In both cases, there are plenty of consumers who would love an Atlas quality 70-tonner and be willing to pay the price. Bonus points if it can be hacked to HOn3, or better yet, offered in HOn3 RTR. The market that Blackstone has built is just waiting to be tapped by someone doing a RTR diesel. This might not seem obvious if you've been nursed since youth on mainline action, but the sales numbers don't lie -- people in HOn3 are as willing to buy RTR as the rest of the train market. Gives us more time to build kits and from just sticks...
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Post by Spikre on Jul 12, 2014 9:50:07 GMT -8
Mike, while the 70tonners are nice,how about a true never done narrow guage diesel ? Alco built about 9 of their early 30s 300HP design switchers,at least 2 were built as narrow guage for the Chiquri Land Co. these could be prototypically be built as Standard Gauge also,and were compact locos that don't over power a layout scene. 2 were built for Lehigh Valley,and several for the Navy. not common,but interesting. and putting a decent mechanism in them would be a bit of a challenge,but believe Atlas could do it. Tom, this is an Atlas Prediction thread,how narrow minded can this get ? Spikre
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Post by mlehman on Jul 12, 2014 10:28:33 GMT -8
SNIP Alco built about 9 of their early 30s 300HP design switchers,at least 2 were built as narrow guage for the Chiquri Land Co. these could be prototypically be built as Standard Gauge also,and were compact locos that don't over power a layout scene. 2 were built for Lehigh Valley,and several for the Navy. SNIP I think the marketing team would point out it's a lot easier to sell a model of real loco, then switch to an imaginary scheme or two based on its success, rather than selling pure fantasy. Just about anyone with a layout can imagine a 70-tonner, since they are so widely scattered around the US. Not that I wouldn't love something like that, I know I would be the exception. Heck, I even lived in Panama and road railroads there as a youngun' This is alss an ideal prototype to sell in just plain paint -- black, yellow, green, orange -- as many people would find it easy to adopt to their own line. Also, kept you in the dark with the contrast settings, but those are some generic Bettendorfs under that boxcar, should be Vulcans, tsk, tsk, I know , but I missed the truck salesman when he stopped by the shop again this week...
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Post by Spikre on Jul 12, 2014 10:57:57 GMT -8
Mike, those trucks arnt Bettendorfs at all. now brace for topic drift: those are Athearn ASF A-3s,or at least Athearns POOR rendition of 40Ton A-3s. OK,we all survived that Topic Drift,but really don't like usuing the word Athearn in an Atlas topic. check out the Tangent thread for an On-Line truck salesman !!! at least 2 70 Tonners were built as C-C 3' locos,so there is a precident there. Spikre
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Post by tdspeedracer on Jul 12, 2014 11:07:01 GMT -8
It would be nice to see something exciting from them, but I think it's going to take longer than this to right the ship.
Trevor
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Post by travis on Jul 12, 2014 13:01:33 GMT -8
It would be nice to see something exciting from them, but I think it's going to take longer than this to right the ship. Trevor Exactly, that is why I posted what I did, not to steal the thread and ruin someone's day. Sorry. My prediction - nothing but a few repaints.
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Post by thebessemerkid on Jul 12, 2014 13:18:20 GMT -8
Geez, Atlas absorbed the excellent Branchline cars, and got hit with China chaos at the same time.
I'm willing to cut them major slack (but they do need to drop their old sound vendor)
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Post by roadkill on Jul 12, 2014 13:47:39 GMT -8
I'm thinking more towards a late U-28c/early U-30c. They already have the drive and trucks, walkways,handrails and cab. Lok Sound has come out with a very nice early GE sound decoder. All that would be needed is a new long hood. Would fill a missing link in early GE's ---- Ken I'm with you there, can use C&O, PRR/PC, and D&H. And I could probably be talked into a Reading U30C as well.
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jul 12, 2014 18:02:15 GMT -8
Atlas not producing a new loco?
I've just been running the new Atlas engine. I picked it up from the shop a few days ago.
It's got great sound.
Ed
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Post by WP 257 on Jul 12, 2014 20:06:46 GMT -8
Spikre--
Some printed publications (going back 20 years or more) that have nothing to do with Atlas did indeed refer to that CNJ red/white paint scheme as the "Coast Guard" scheme. I do not believe Paul G. made that up at all.
All--
Also, I believe both Atlas and BLI closed their forums because the discussion on both forums took a rather negative tone, and they reached a point where they had simply had enough. I don't believe it had much at all to do with money, though allocating personnel time to managing the forum was an excuse that was given.
As for them no longer being a great company, I would like to remind folks that a lot of model train companies have come and gone since Atlas started so many years ago. Just because they are conservative about introducing products during these times does not mean they are no longer great or somehow on the way out. They had a production hiccup. Their main builder/supplier/whatever you want to call them was taken away from them; rumor has it some of their tooling conveniently "disappeared" too, and had to be completely replaced, and they have wisely chosen not to just jump in whole hog with the next guys too fast. Additionally, they have absorbed another product line and have gotten those products coming through the pipeline. I just do not understand what seems to be negativity toward them just because they don't have many "brand new" products.
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Post by Brakie on Jul 13, 2014 1:45:59 GMT -8
As for them no longer being a great company, I would like to remind folks that a lot of model train companies have come and gone since Atlas started so many years ago. Just because they are conservative about introducing products during these times does not mean they are no longer great or somehow on the way out. They had a production hiccup. Their main builder/supplier/whatever you want to call them was taken away from them; rumor has it some of their tooling conveniently "disappeared" too, and had to be completely replaced, and they have wisely chosen not to just jump in whole hog with the next guys too fast. Additionally, they have absorbed another product line and have gotten those products coming through the pipeline. I just do not understand what seems to be negativity toward them just because they don't have many "brand new" products. ------------------------------- I suppose Atlas could jump in with both feet to see how much they can push out the door but,at what price?
Do we really want more sour topics on car or locomotive QA/QC problems?
I would rather see Atlas continue to release quality products instead of rushing things.
Why?
I know when I buy a Atlas product its top quality.
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Post by carrman on Jul 13, 2014 7:24:54 GMT -8
Atlas not producing a new loco? I've just been running the new Atlas engine. I picked it up from the shop a few days ago. It's got great sound. Ed A revision of an existing product while welcome, is hardly all new. Dave
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Post by carrman on Jul 13, 2014 7:27:23 GMT -8
Spikre-- Some printed publications (going back 20 years or more) that have nothing to do with Atlas did indeed refer to that CNJ red/white paint scheme as the "Coast Guard" scheme. I do not believe Paul G. made that up at all. All-- Also, I believe both Atlas and BLI closed their forums because the discussion on both forums took a rather negative tone, and they reached a point where they had simply had enough. I don't believe it had much at all to do with money, though allocating personnel time to managing the forum was an excuse that was given. As for them no longer being a great company, I would like to remind folks that a lot of model train companies have come and gone since Atlas started so many years ago. Just because they are conservative about introducing products during these times does not mean they are no longer great or somehow on the way out. They had a production hiccup. Their main builder/supplier/whatever you want to call them was taken away from them; rumor has it some of their tooling conveniently "disappeared" too, and had to be completely replaced, and they have wisely chosen not to just jump in whole hog with the next guys too fast. Additionally, they have absorbed another product line and have gotten those products coming through the pipeline. I just do not understand what seems to be negativity toward them just because they don't have many "brand new" products. I wouldn't call it negativity toward them, as much as I would call it disappointment in them. Dave
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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2014 8:05:29 GMT -8
Also, I believe both Atlas and BLI closed their forums because the discussion on both forums took a rather negative tone, and they reached a point where they had simply had enough. I don't believe it had much at all to do with money, though allocating personnel time to managing the forum was an excuse that was given. Bull farts BLI got roasted time and again on its own forum for broken promise after broken promise. They'd get on their own forum for saying "the next run of the (fill in the blank) will be announced next quarter".....two years later...no announcement. Better yet, some item will be available in the next few months. Years later nothing still. Negativity is why Atlas shuttered the forum? Really? Its really amazing that the forum shut down just as the crap was hitting the fan for Atlas on the production front. Coincidence? The forum cost Atlas money in hosting it and the personal to watch over. When you can't get product to market, it makes sense to relieve personal of tasks which isn't making the company money and directing those employees energies into endeavors to make the company money. Atlas had a pretty much "hands off" approach to their forum. People expressing their displeasure had been a part of the forum from the early 2000's. Atlas could have pulled the plug years earlier for "negativity" and didn't. Its all about dollars nothing more. As for them no longer being a great company, I would like to remind folks that a lot of model train companies have come and gone since Atlas started so many years ago. Just because they are conservative about introducing products during these times does not mean they are no longer great or somehow on the way out. They had a production hiccup. Their main builder/supplier/whatever you want to call them was taken away from them; rumor has it some of their tooling conveniently "disappeared" too, and had to be completely replaced, and they have wisely chosen not to just jump in whole hog with the next guys too fast. Additionally, they have absorbed another product line and have gotten those products coming through the pipeline. I just do not understand what seems to be negativity toward them just because they don't have many "brand new" products. Atlas was pumping out new from the ground up models for about a decade. Then the great recession hits and they pulled in the horns so far, they ended up sticking out of their back sides. Meanwhile, Athearn, Intermountain, Exactrail, Tangent, Rapido, Walthers(to a lesser extent)....did I leave anyone out? Have been pumping out new product at a feverish clip. What does Atlas do, new paint on existing models, including the former Branchline products and some facelifts of existing products. Their last totally new HO diesel was the GP40-2. How did that work out for Atlas? They did a couple of runs and then a year or more of nothing. Meanwhile, Athearn announces their GP40-2 which will have prototype specific detailing, etc. and Atlas is left seemingly holding the bag. As my dealer said about Atlas track, "I can't sell something, I can not stock". Atlas track comes and goes like waves on the Pacific. Meanwhile, companies that can keep track available like Micro Engineering, Peco and even Shinohara sell product. So what is Atlas selling when track is sold out? Their good name? Air? Now couple lack of consistent availability of Atlas track to the price increases from Atlas which makes their track the same as everyone else. One of the reason Atlas sold a lot of track was Atlas was more reasonable. Not anymore. Atlas is now about the same price as the competition. People are also finding the other brands, besides being readily available throughout the year, is of higher quality than the current Atlas product. Atlas may still be a major manufacturer, at least in name. But they have been by and large sleep walking for many years.
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Post by buffalobill on Jul 13, 2014 9:00:26 GMT -8
Jim, You are right Atlas has become the Poster Child for Supply Chain issues in an Industry increasingly totally dependent on China for production. My guess is it is more than just supply chain issues, more like availability of working capital. With a franchise product like track, the build only to the Distributor order philosophy leaves the warehouse empty between shipments from the Far East. Thus nothing to keep the dealers shelves restocked as items sell out. The Franchise is then diminished or lost.
Lets hope they can turn it around. My prediction, next week there might be a new car announcement, like the NSC Newprint cars announced, then quickly released this spring. They may need to turn to the short announcement to arrival at the docks model, to rebuild credibility, where they announce with the containers close. Then based on demand do multiple short runs until the Distributor and the dealer requirements are satisfied. If a locomotive is announced it will be new paint jobs or retools/upgrades of existing products.
Atlas has done it before, those of us who are old enough to remember when their Roco sourced SD-24's hit the shelves Thanksgiving weekend, 1974 before the Magazines with the adds for it got to the readers. Information travels a little quicker today than 40 years ago, thanks to the Internet and Forums, but they can still slip one by us.
They are not dead, but it is going to take some changes and work on their part to get their previous share of the HO market back.
Bill
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